Should I accept an internship with NY Supreme Court? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Got an offer for an 1L summer internship with a judge on the NY Supreme Court in Manhattan. I don't know what his docket is like but he's in the Civil Division and I've been told he works on a bit of everything.

Is this position impressive? I know that the Supreme Court in NY is the trial court. Should I call it a day or continue to apply for positions? The judge didn't tell me when to get back to him.

My goal is big law in DC, and all my previous experiences are in DC. I go to a school in the top 10 (Mich/Virginia/Penn range)

[LawIdiot86]

Got an offer for an 1L summer internship with a judge on the NY Supreme Court in Manhattan. I don't know what his docket is like but he's in the Civil Division and I've been told he works on a bit of everything.

Is this position impressive? I know that the Supreme Court in NY is the trial court. Should I call it a day or continue to apply for positions? The judge didn't tell me when to get back to him.

My goal is big law in DC, and all my previous experiences are in DC. I go to a school in the top 10 (Mich/Virginia/Penn range)

How long did he give you to accept? Is there any chance he'd let you split? Assuming your grades are fine, the only bump you could get would be a federal district or federal COA judge. If you could split with NYSC/USDC that would be ideal.

[2014]

It sounds like it would be a pretty good experience as far as judges go. From what I can tell you should be more concerned with getting good exposure than a prestigious name anyway.

What is your funding situation like, does your school give funding for working for a judge and if not can you afford to be completely unpaid?

[Anonymous User]

How long did he give you to accept? Is there any chance he'd let you split? Assuming your grades are fine, the only bump you could get would be a federal district or federal COA judge. If you could split with NYSC/USDC that would be ideal.

He didn't give me a deadline to accept so I'm not sure what to do. I could ask him to split but would that be rude? Also, I haven't applied for any other judicial internships yet. Are the federal ones in NYSC/USDC hard to get?

It sounds like it would be a pretty good experience as far as judges go. From what I can tell you should be more concerned with getting good exposure than a prestigious name anyway.

What is your funding situation like, does your school give funding for working for a judge and if not can you afford to be completely unpaid?

I don't think the school gives out funding, but I can afford to do it unpaid. I have a place to stay.

[exitoptions]

Have you applied for any fed internships? I'd hold out for those.

[thesealocust]

It is against protocol to decline a position offered to you by a judge, ever, for basically any reason. Now that doesn't mean you'll be thrown in jail or run out of the profession if you decline, but it's true and something you should know.

The position is fine. You should not have applied to it if you were not willing to accept.

What you do 1L summer is 60% about learning and personal development, 39% about whether you get paid, and 1% about its impact on later job hunts. What you do 1L summer truly does not have an impact on future job searching.

[exitoptions]

It is against protocol to decline a position offered to you by a judge, ever, for basically any reason. Now that doesn't mean you'll be thrown in jail or run out of the profession if you decline, but it's true and something you should know.

The position is fine. You should not have applied to it if you were not willing to accept.

What you do 1L summer is 60% about learning and personal development, 39% about whether you get paid, and 1% about its impact on later job hunts. What you do 1L summer truly does not have an impact on future job searching.

This is nonesense. You can politely decline/. I have done it a couple times. They know you're interviewing for multiple positions.

[thesealocust]

Of course you can politely decline, that doesn't mean it's not against protocol to do so. Every year on these forums it gets debated, but it's absolutely a tradition (though not a hard and fast rule).

Occasionally there are even stories of judges who offer a spot to a candidate and then assume that means the candidate will work for them because of the tradition. Then the candidate goes on to do something else and there's an international (well not really) incident.

To reiterate, you don't have to accept the position (or do anything but die and pay taxes, really). But there is an expectation that you accept positions (to which you applied) that are offered to you by judges in the legal industry.

[Anonymous User]

I agree with above that 1L summer is mainly about learning and doing some sort of substantive legal work. I'd add that it also gives you a talking point during OCI interviews particularly if you don't have work experience.

Based on my experience, an internship with the NY Supreme Court will be sufficient to give you some sort of substantive legal experience which will provide you with a talking point during interviews. As a point of reference, I had a NY Supreme Court internship during 1L summer and will be working at a V5 this summer in New York.

Ultimately, the make or break for getting DC biglaw is going to be your grades.

[Agent]

With exceptions, of course, but probably none that would apply to OP.

What you do 1L summer truly does not have an impact on future job searching.

[cynthiad]

Of course you can politely decline, that doesn't mean it's not against protocol to do so. Every year on these forums it gets debated, but it's absolutely a tradition (though not a hard and fast rule).

Occasionally there are even stories of judges who offer a spot to a candidate and then assume that means the candidate will work for them because of the tradition. Then the candidate goes on to do something else and there's an international (well not really) incident.

To reiterate, you don't have to accept the position (or do anything but die and pay taxes, really). But there is an expectation that you accept positions (to which you applied) that are offered to you by judges in the legal industry.

That makes no sense...what if more than one judge offers you a position?

[bkenney2]

Judges usually offer positions on the spot after an interview. So, if you have been offered from a judge and accept it you will tell any other judge that calls that you are spoken for. As such, you would not be offered by two judges if you are playing the game the traditional way.

[OutCold]

Strictly pertaining to OCI, the only thing you need to come away with in a 1L summer job is one semi-interesting story.

[romothesavior]

Of course you can politely decline, that doesn't mean it's not against protocol to do so. Every year on these forums it gets debated, but it's absolutely a tradition (though not a hard and fast rule).

Occasionally there are even stories of judges who offer a spot to a candidate and then assume that means the candidate will work for them because of the tradition. Then the candidate goes on to do something else and there's an international (well not really) incident.

To reiterate, you don't have to accept the position (or do anything but die and pay taxes, really). But there is an expectation that you accept positions (to which you applied) that are offered to you by judges in the legal industry.

I think there is a difference between expectations with an internship vs. a clerkship. There may be a few judges who have this expectation for internships, but I think the vast majority are understanding if you land something paid with long-term potential. We're deeply indebted law students going out into the worst legal market in the history of the profession. I think most judges will understand that, though I'm not sure how they would react if it was just for a switch to another unpaid job or something. Probably not as well.

[2014]

Of course you can politely decline, that doesn't mean it's not against protocol to do so. Every year on these forums it gets debated, but it's absolutely a tradition (though not a hard and fast rule).

Occasionally there are even stories of judges who offer a spot to a candidate and then assume that means the candidate will work for them because of the tradition. Then the candidate goes on to do something else and there's an international (well not really) incident.

To reiterate, you don't have to accept the position (or do anything but die and pay taxes, really). But there is an expectation that you accept positions (to which you applied) that are offered to you by judges in the legal industry.

That makes no sense...what if more than one judge offers you a position?

How would that happen unless they call you simultaneously? The point is that if a judge offers you, without hanging up or leaving the room you accept. After that point you immediately withdraw your applications from everywhere else.

It's not like firms where they offer you and you take 6 weeks to think it over.